Homelessness
How Cambridge’s Unhoused Residents Endured the Record-Breaking Cold
Confronting record-breaking low temperatures earlier this month, some of Cambridge’s unhoused residents sought refuge in shelters offering extended hours last weekend, while others faced the cold.
Cambridge Officials Discuss Homelessness, Rise in Crime and Substance Abuse in Central Square
Cambridge officials on Tuesday discussed the city’s efforts to address homelessness in Central Square, where overdoses and some types of crime have risen over the last four years.
Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Waitlist is Over 20,000 Names Long. How Did the City Get Here?
According to the Community Development Department, in 2021, Cambridge contained about 57,500 homes. Of these, around 8,500, or about 15 percent, are considered income-restricted housing. And the waitlist for these affordable homes? More than 20,000 names long. How did Cambridge get here?
After Two Years, Cambridge Neighborhood Service Project Returns to In-Person Programming
Cambridge’s Neighborhood Service Project, an initiative offering young people the opportunity to collaborate on community service projects, began its yearly programming this month — its first in-person cycle since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
PBHA Volunteers Phone Mass. State Reps. in Support of Covid-19 Housing Equity Bill
Students in the Phillips Brooks House Association phoned Massachusetts state representatives at a Tuesday event held by the group in support of a Covid-19 housing equity bill making its way through the state legislature.
Cambridge Homeless Shelters Hold Steady Amid Omicron Rise
Almost two years after the pandemic’s start, Cambridge homeless shelters have held steady operations amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
Jim Stewart
Jim Stewart, a Divinity School graduate, is the director of First Church Shelter in Cambridge. He would like to see Harvard increase its involvement in responding to the overdose crisis.
Material Aid and Advocacy Program
A display for the Material Aid and Advocacy Program sits ready to welcome people to the organization's drop-in space. The Material Aid and Advocacy Program, located in Cambridge, supports people living in poverty or experiencing homelessness.
City Council Candidates Discuss Affordable Housing Ahead of Upcoming Election
Nine candidates for Cambridge City Council addressed how they would tackle affordable housing — a likely high-profile campaign issue ahead of this November’s election — at a candidate forum Sunday.
Student-Run Homeless Shelters to Operate at Reduced Capacity This Winter
As Harvard students returned en masse to Cambridge earlier this month, Harvard student-run homeless shelters have made plans to operate at reduced bed capacity for overnight guests this fall and winter.
Student-Run Homeless Shelter Y2Y Maintains Reduced Operations Under Covid-19 Safety Measures
Y2Y Harvard Square, a youth homeless shelter staffed by Harvard students, has continued to accommodate guests under modified protocols this semester despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, while also recruiting volunteers online and facilitating vaccine distribution for guests and staff.
Proposed Mass. Bill Would Make PILOT Payments Mandatory for Harvard, Other Institutions
The Massachusetts House is considering a bill that would make the previously optional payments which supplanted city property taxes for nonprofits such as Harvard mandatory.
Health Care Experts Discuss Technological Interventions to Tackle Veteran Homelessness at HSPH Seminar
Two healthcare experts affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs discussed how mobile phone technology can be deployed to tackle veteran homelessness at a Harvard School of Public Health seminar on Wednesday.
Cambridge Officials Discuss Covid Vaccination Rollout, Hesitations from People of Color
The Cambridge Health Department hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday during which public health officers, medical experts, and government officials provided updates on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and discussed hesitations that some people of color may have about receiving the vaccine.
Fundraiser for Cambridge’s Homeless Raises More Than $30,000 With Sandel, Paulsell as Guests
With Cambridge homeless shelters facing operational challenges due to Covid-19, the First Church in Cambridge raised more than $30,000 for two projects supporting unhoused residents during its annual fundraising gala Saturday night.
Y2Y
The Y2Y shelter — pictured in February — operates out of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard Square.
Facing Pandemic Challenges, City Council Votes to Rent Non-Congregate Homeless Shelter Space
Cambridge City Councilors passed a proposal to rent non-congregate housing for the city’s unhoused population and received an update on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout during a Wednesday meeting.
Housing Advocates Urge Cambridge Residents to Endorse Non-Congregate Shelters at Upcoming City Council Meeting
In advance of the Cambridge City Council meeting on Monday, a group of housing advocates distributed flyers to more than 1,200 households on Sunday urging residents to give public comment in support of “non-congregate” shelters.
Harvard Square Community Fridge Targets Food Insecurity in Cambridge
The Harvard Square Business Association collaborated with the mutual aid initiative Cambridge Community Fridge to bring a community fridge to Harvard Square in early January.
Cambridge Leaders Look to Biden Administration for Renewed Local Support in Growing Crises
During a tumultuous four years under the administration of Donald J. Trump, local leaders have dealt with the fallout of how its policies trickled down into the lives of Cambridge residents. While Covid-19 and economic fallout raged nationally, the city’s top issues — homelessness, food insecurity, and small business erosion — have all been exacerbated.
As Covid-19 Rages, Cambridge’s Homeless Shelters Adapt
The City of Cambridge and local shelters have tailored their services to try to support the City’s homeless population during the global health crisis, which is extending into the frosty months of winter.
Cambridge Installs Nine Public Showers in Harvard Square
The City of Cambridge has installed nine public showers in a Harvard Square parking lot in association with First Church Shelter.
Homeless Advocates Discuss Impact of COVID-19 on Local Homeless Population
Boston Healthcare for the Homeless’s founding physician James J. O’Connell and Y2Y Harvard Square Shelter data and program evaluation manager Kylie Nassif Blizzard discussed coronvirus’s dire impact on the Boston’s homeless population in a webinar Wednesday.